Ph.D. positions in Climate and Environment
We are seeking students interested in studying environmental change in dryland ecosystems of the American Southwest. Research in our lab seeks to elucidate the mechanisms of ecological change in deserts, woodlands and forests. Our current projects include regional climate and microclimate variability, regeneration dynamics, ecohydrology, population stress tolerance, wildfire disturbance and land use change. Our research utilizes field data collection, remote sensing, computational modeling, manipulative field experiments, and lab work. Successful candidates will develop projects in their areas of interest that build on one or more of these topics and techniques. To this end, our lab can provide considerable access to active field research sites, existing projects and datasets, a few novel research tools, and the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of scientists.
These positions are intended to support students with broad interests in environmental change and dryland ecosystems, and especially those that are driven to develop and answer their own unique research questions (with Advisor support). Positions include a graduate stipend, paid tuition and student fees, and health insurance. Research Assistantships are available for a few of our project topics.
Interested candidates should email me ([email protected]) a brief letter of interest and the contact information for 3 references. A formal departmental application is due in early 2022.
Qualifications: Competitive candidates will meet most or all of the following:
• M.S. or M.A. degree in a STEM field
• At least one peer reviewed publication
• Quantitative skills and data analysis experience, including proficiency using R
• Interest in ecological research
• Excellent writing skills
• Enthusiasm for regularly bothering your collaborators with research questions and ideas, preliminary figures, that paper you just read, etc.
Candidates that wish to conduct field research should additionally have:
• Outdoor work experience in hot and dry environments
• Good decisionmaking and practical skills
• Ability to use tools, fix, and build things
• A clean driving record
Thank you for your interest in these positions. Please contact me if you have any questions!
Contact: Dr. Matthew Petrie ([email protected])
Start: June or August, 2022
Lab Website: https://unlv-ecohydrology.mystrikingly.com/
